Fired Stoughton animal officer sues police for sexual harassment

Wednesday

After being fired in October, Animal Control Officer Kristin Bousquet has filed sexual harassment and discrimination charges against the Stoughton Police Department.

After being fired in October, Animal Control Officer Kristen Bousquet has filed sexual harassment and discrimination charges against the Stoughton Police Department.

The town received a notice from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Nov. 18 saying that a “charge of employment discrimination” had been filed against the Police Department.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

The notice stated that Bousquet’s circumstances involved alleged sex discrimination, as well as issues concerning a discharge and harassment from Oct. 1-30.

Acting Police Chief Thomas Murphy said he could not comment on the charges.

Bousquet could not be reached for comment.

Bousquet, who was fired Oct. 30, came under fire in early October after Janet Torren of Rochester said the animal control officer had given away her Yorkshire terrier, a breed of dog that can be sold for as much as $2,000.

Torren said she had visited her son in Stoughton and the dog escaped Sept. 18. She later learned that a microchip in the dog’s ear had been scanned at the Stoughton Animal Shelter that same day.

Torren said she repeatedly called Bousquet and searched for the dog, but Bousquet denied any knowledge of the dog. On Oct. 1, after Torren threatened to press charges against Bousquet, the dog was returned at the police station.

After investigating the incident, Murphy said the animal control officer had given the dog away to a Stoughton police officer for his girlfriend, three days after the dog went missing.

Bousquet was placed on unpaid leave in late October, and was subsequently fired after a hearing.

Town Manager Mark Stankiewicz said at the time that he could not comment on his decision to fire Bousquet, but before the hearing he said he would take all the information into consideration before he made his decision.

At the hearing, seven people testified on Bousquet’s behalf, saying she had shown unusual compassion for animals during her tenure. Before the hearing, friends said Bousquet loved her job and didn’t want to leave the position.

After the firing, Bousquet wrote a letter to The Enterprise saying she was not “100 percent truthful” about the incident.

“At this time, I don’t think I can say any more other than I am truly sorry for my actions and hurting all of those involved,” she wrote in an Oct. 28 e-mail to The Enterprise. “I am disappointed in my actions,” she added.

Bousquet had worked for the town of Stoughton since 2003, earning $41,000 a year. Since her termination, the town has had a part-time person filling the position. Last week, up to 60 people had applied for the job.

Stankiewicz, who could not be reached for comment, previously had said the town would not hire a new animal control officer until after Jan. 1.

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